BEAT YOUR BOGEY HOLE WIN FOOTJOY SHOES

PUTTING RECORDS
e feel pretty pleased with
W
ourselves if we make it
through a round without a
three-putt or hole an unexpected long
one from 30 feet. So imagine what it
would be like to go 30 rounds without
a three-putt, or to hole one from 375
feet… The players featured here don’t
have to imagine; they hold putting
records that will take some breaking…
Longest streak without
a three-putt
Freddie Jacobson’s run of 542 holes
without a three-putt, from Jan 23 to
April 24 this year, stretched over an
astonishing 30 rounds. The Swede
comfortably broke Luke Donald’s
previous record of 483 holes, set in
2011, before opening the second round
of the Zurich Classic
with a disappointing
three-jab.
Fewest putts
in a round
We’re not huge fans of the
‘putts per round’ statistic. It
doesn’t take into account how
many greens you hit or miss,
or how far from the hole you’re
putting from. That said, taking 18
putts in a round – that’s one per
hole, maths fans – is a pretty tidy
feat that just eight players have
ever managed. Guess how many
of them won the tournament in
which they did it… None.
Longest putt in a Major
Nick Price had been
waiting 15 years to win a
Major when a 110-footer
helped him to victory at the 1992
PGA Championship at Bellerive
Country Club.
Fewest putts in a
72-hole tournament
Two-putt every green
over four days and
you’d take 144 putts.
The pros average
around 116, while the
best putters might get
this down to 105 on a
really good week. To take
just 92 putts in a
tournament, then, is
obviously an unbelievable
accomplishment, but that’s
exactly what David Frost
did during the 2005 MCI
Heritage at Harbour Town. The
fact he finished T-38 with a 2-over total
tells you everything you need to know
about how the rest of his game was
going that week.
The first whiff
Whiffing the ball is bad enough, but
imagine being the person air-shots are
named after. Lord Gormley Whiffle
missed the ball completely when
attempting to tap in a four-inch putt
during the 1876 Open and lost the
Silver Medal as a result. All the talk
amongst the spectators was, “Did you
see that Whiffle?” – leading to the term
Longest putt
ever holed
On November 6,
2001, 13-hcp
Fergus Muir
bagged a
Guinness World
Record by sinking
a 375-foot putt on
the 5th hole of the
Eden Course in St
Andrews. Having
seen his partners
struggle with
howling winds and
rock-hard ground,
the 71-year-old
reached for his
hickory shafted
putter and made
his first ever holein-one.
Tap Frost
The South
African didn’t
need his putter
much that week.
‘whiff’ when later shortened to its
present form.
The slowest putt ever made
Those enraged by slow play should
look away now. It took amateur Kim
Saka 25 minutes to hole a simple 18-
inch putt that would secure her a spot
in the 1980 Women’s Kemper Open.
In fairness, it wasn’t her fault. The
flagstick was stuck and her caddie
couldn’t remove it despite his best
efforts. Eventually, after several caddies
had tried to free what was quickly
becoming golf’s version of Excalibur,
the flag was freed and Saka was able
to finish the hole.
Longest putt holed on Tour
Craig Barlow may not exactly be a
household name – he’s never won a
Tour event and is probably as famous
for being the cousin of The Killers’
Brandon Flowers as for his T-26th in
the 2008 US Open – but his 111’ 5”
eagle putt at Warwick Hills Golf and
Country Club during the 2008 Buick
Open will take some beating. That’s
the length of three London buses!
The longest putt holed so far this
season was Chad Campbell’s 95’ 3”
effort in the Northern Trust Open.
Price is right
The South
African won
two more
Majors.
TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK ISSUE 337 71